This invention relates in general to floating buoys having a variety of data collection devices collecting data that is useful for offshore wind turbines. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for a floating buoy that includes one or more of the sensors required to evaluate wind farm site locations, generate meteorological and met-ocean data useful for the design wind turbines, and operate and maintain offshore wind turbines, and further includes means to mitigate the negative effects of motion caused by waves on remote wind sensing equipment that is capable of measuring wind speed at wind turbine hub heights of about 100 m and higher, such as LiDAR wind speed measurement equipment or SODAR.
Wind turbines for converting wind energy to electrical power are known and provide an alternative energy source for power companies. On land, large groups of wind turbines, often numbering in the hundreds of wind turbines, may be placed together in one geographic area. These large groups of wind turbines can generate undesirably high levels of noise and may be viewed as aesthetically unpleasing. An optimum flow of air may not be available to these land-base wind turbines due to obstacles such as hills, woods, and buildings.
Groups of wind turbines may also be located offshore, but near the coast at locations where water depths allow the wind turbines to be fixedly attached to a foundation on the seabed, such as a depth of up to about 25 meters. Floating wind turbine platforms are also beginning to be deployed in the ocean between 37 and 93 kilometers offshore and at depths of over 60 meters.
Known offshore wind turbine platforms require information such as wind speed, met-ocean data, and ecological data for wind farm site evaluation, wind turbine design, and wind turbine operation and maintenance. Although sensors for gathering such data are known, such sensors are typically mounted on multiple platforms, such as fixed towers, buoys, and the fixed or floating wind turbine platforms. For example, wind speed measurement sensors, such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) may be mounted on a buoy or fixed platform. One or more sensors configured to collect met-ocean data such as wave height, period, and direction, current speed through water depth, and wind direction and speed measurements at about 4 m above mean sea level, air pressure and temperature, water temperature and salinity, and other oceanographic data may be provided on one or more buoys or fixed towers. Additional buoys or fixed towers may be provided with sensors configured to collect data on the activity of birds, bats, fish, marine mammals, and other wildlife. During wind farm operation, similar sensors may be mounted to the turbine platform itself for monitoring purposes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved platforms that can house all of the sensors required to evaluate wind farm site locations, design wind turbines, collect ecological data, and operate and maintain wind turbines. There is also a need in the art for an improved floating platform for a LiDAR device that can mitigate the negative effects of motion caused by waves.